The long range purpose of this project is to find out what the ultimate carcinogenic metabolite of benzo(a)pyrene is. The steps toward this goal are: (1) to understand the detailed metabolic profiles of benzo(a)pyrene formed by microsomal mixed-function oxidases and epoxide hydratase; (2) to determine the chemical identity of the metabolites; (3) to elucidate the mechanism of enzymatic activation; (4) to synthesize the identified metabolites in large quantity; (5) to test the carcinogenic and mutagenic activity of the synthesized metabolites. BIBLIOGRAPHIC REFERENCES: Yang, S.K., Gelboin, H.V., Weber, J.D., Sankaran, V., Fischer, D.L. and Engel, J.F.: Resolution of optical isomers by high-pressure liquid chromatography. The separation of benzo(a)pyrene trans-diol derivatives. Anal. Biochem. 78: 520-526, 1977. Yang, S.K., Gelboin, H.V., Trump, B.F., Autrup, H. and Harris, C.C.: Metabolic activation of benzo(a)pyrene and binding to DNA in cultured human bronchus. Cancer Research 37: 1210-1215, 1977.